Lord Luffus, Earl of Monkey
by akurosa
Summary: In the largest and most powerful kingdom of Grand Line, was King Gol Rodger, the man who had all the fame, power, and wealth in the world. On his deathbed, the King announced to his Heirs with a laugh, "The throne? It's yours for taking—if you find One Piece that is. The one who claims One Piece will be crowned King!" One-shot AU.


**A/N : I realized I haven't really seen a lot of AUs in this fandom and I wanted to try. It ended up like I wrote this while on crack but I do hope everybody has as much fun reading this as I had writing it and um, warnings for no proof-reading?**

o o o

_In the largest and most powerful kingdom of Grand Line, was King Gol Rodger, the man who had all the fame, power, and wealth in the world. On his deathbed, the King announced to his Heirs with a laugh, "The throne? It's yours for taking—__if you find One Piece that is. The one who claims One Piece will be crowned King!"_

_The declaration set the Heirs off in search for the mysterious treasure called One Piece. _

o o o

"I'm telling you, the old man is probably laughing in his grave. He's screwing with all of us."

"Prince Aeson, that's hardly befitting language for a prince, nor is it respectful to His late Majesty," Lord Rayleigh, Duke of Silvers, the late King's closest adviser, and the man who led the court in a King's absence, chided the prince but the laughter in his eyes belied any true anger.

The prince shuddered. "And the god-awful names. When I become King, I'm going to make it law for everyone to call me Ace."

"No Ace, I'm gonna be King," A protest suddenly piped up from behind them and Lord Rayleigh's grin widened. Lord Dragon, Marquess of Monkey may have made numerous enemies with his dangerously radical ways but Rayleigh had a soft spot for the man's floppy, trusting son. When the boy realized whom Aeson was with, he straightened up. "Rayleigh!"

Aeson immediately smacked the back of the younger boy's head. "That's Lord Rayleigh to you, brat."

"That hurt!" The boy rubbed the back of his head but was ever resilient; he straightened up to greet the noble again. "Lord Rayleigh, Duke of Silvers."

"Lord Luffus, Earl of Monkey," Rayleigh returned just as solemnly. He barely managed to swallow the laugh that threatened to rise when the boy began to pick his nose, much to the passing servants' horror. He also chose to ignore the Prince's dramatic groan of _the names! _and focus on the present._ "_Isn't that Lord Shanks' hat?"

The boy grinned proudly from under the straw hat. "Yup! Shanks-"

"Lord Shanks," The older two nobles automatically corrected.

"-gave it to me. That's why I'm gonna be King!"

"What brought this up?" Lord Shanks must have taken to the boy even more than Rayleigh had imagined. The straw hat was what King Rodger himself had bestowed to the red-haired knight. "For the past few months, I was under the impression that you wished to become a pirate."

Half a year ago, Luffus had declared that he'd become a pirate-despite there being no sea within fifty leagues. Lord Shanks was entirely to blame and King Rodger had been forced to send the knight off to a mission far away while the others attempted to calm the irate Lord Garp, Duke of Monkey.

Luffus's face brightened at the reminder. "Pirates are cool too! But Shanks-OW ACE-Lord Shanks saved me from a monster two days ago and he was so strong but," and the child's words faltered as Rayleigh remembered the gloom in the ranks among the knights when their healers informed them that one of their kingdom's strongest knights would have to lose his arm. "But he got hurt real bad and it was my fault and he said that if I felt bad then I should get stronger. And I promised him to get stronger and he told me to give him back the hat when I was and so I'm going to become stronger and become the strongest in Grand Line and that means I have to find One Piece and I'm gonna be King!"

Lord Rayleigh shared a look with the Prince, whose eyes had narrowed dangerously at the news.

Being the blood heir to the late King and openly supported by the Duke of Whitebeard, the most influential and powerful family in court, Prince Aeson was the most favored for the throne. Rayleigh knew that Aeson had intended to take the throne only for the Duke of Whitebeard, whom the prince loved more fiercely than he loved his own father, but now, without the possession of One Piece, Aeson couldn't be crowned.

Even before the change however, Luffus never showed interest for the throne and Rayleigh and Aeson had a mutual, silent agreement to keep it that way. Aeson hid the boy from the spite Dragon left behind in his wake, having no qualms in using his birthright against those who tried to extract revenge by attacking Dragon's son. Those who avoided or survived Aeson's retaliation never made it past Rayleigh.

IThe two both knew far too well that for the boy to want to become King was horrific; Luffus was too trusting, too honest to survive the board of politics where people were only chess pawns and the rules to follow were lies and manipulation.

"That so Luffy?" Aeson replied easily, reaching over to mess up the mop of hair of the boy who was his brother in everything but blood. The gesture was affectionate and Luffus laughed but Rayleigh saw the glint in the prince's eyes that could only be called_ fire._ Rayleigh did not envy Shanks at all. "Better find some subjects if you want to be King then. You can't manage anything by yourself."

Luffus's eyes lit up at the advice. "Like how Lord Shanks has Sir Benyamin and Sir Yasopp? Okay! Thanks Ace! Oh, and Lord Rayleigh, Duke of Silvers," He hastily ducked his head in a poor imitation of the traditional greeting to a higher ranking noble and promptly ran off.

"...I'm going to kill that red-haired alcoholic," Aeson muttered when the boy vanished from sight. "Connections with the House of Dracule or not, that damned Shanks is going to _die_."

Watching the overprotective brother simmer, Rayleigh couldn't resist. "That's _Lord_ Shanks to you."

(Unbeknownst to Rayleigh, but in another lifetime, Aeson's glare _could_ have burnt Rayleigh alive.)

o o o

"If you're looking for a monster, what about Roronoa Zoro? He's famous for using three single edged swords." Cobi suggested. The pink haired boy had found strange boy with a straw hat rummaging through the kitchens and dragged him out before he was caught. The straw hat boy had told Cobi that he was in the middle of 'looking for someone strong.'

"Roronoa Zoro?" Luffus tried the name. He stuck a finger up his nose, clearly bored. "If he's a knight don't you mean Sir Zoro, House of Roronoa?"

"He uses swords," Cobi whispered excitedly. "But I heard he hails from the East and refused knighthood."

To refuse knighthood meant to refuse to swear fealty and to do so came with the price of no financial aid and political protection, Sir Ben had told Luffus for he himself had spent years without swearing fealty until Lord Shanks.

"He must be very strong," Luffus considered this.

"Rumor says he's a blood-thirsty hound, the Devil himself in a human form. He answers to no one and hunts down fugitives for money."

"He goes after the bad guys? He doesn't sound so bad."

Cobi faltered. "Well, whatever he is, he got caught by Lady Albida a week ago."

"Lady Albida?" Luffus paused. "Oh, the ugly hag you're stuck working for!"

"Idiot!" Cobi hissed, frantically looking around to see if the other workers noticed his absence. They hadn't. "She has a horrible temper and with Sir Morgan at her call, she's practically unstoppable! You have to watch what you say about her if you don't want to be executed too!"

Luffus already was not listening though; he tilted his head, thinking about how his nanny Makino had warned him against Ace and Shanks but had been wrong.

"He sounds strong so if he's not a bad guy, I'll make him my subject!" Luffus decided.

"Your subject?" Cobi scratched his head in confusion. "Only nobles can have subjects."

"I know and I'm gonna need the best subjects so I can find One Piece and be King!"

Cobi's eyes widened.

"Be King?" He squealed. He looked his friend over properly for the first time. His gaze froze at the clasp of Luffus' cloak, the crest of the crown and proof of the Will of D that glinted gold in the morning sun. "You're a _Heir_?"

Luffus nodded. "I'm Luffy, Earl of Monkey. Ace said I hold the will of D too."

"Ace?"

"Yup, everybody calls him Aeson but he hates that."

"Aeson?" Cobi's pitch reached alarming decibels. "_Prince __**Aeson**_?"

"Yup!"

_I called a Heir an idiot, _was the last coherent thought Cobi had before he fainted.

o o o

"Er, Lord Luffus-"

"Don't be stupid Cobi," Luffus laughed good-naturally. "We're friends and if you want to be a knight, you're gonna have to have more balls than that."

Cobi brightened. "Do you think I can? I don't have a House or a patronage yet but I'm going to train really hard!"

"You're too weak now but you have good eyes. If you want to, I'm sure you can!"

Cobi grew red at the honest faith in the statement and to hide his blush, he stole a peek above the wall. At Luffus' demand, the two had snuck around until they found out where Roronoa Zoro was detained, at the southern training grounds that belonged to House of Ironmaston.

And in the middle of the empty field, Roronoa Zoro stood, tied to a cross pole.

"You sure you want to recruit him?" Cobi swallowed hard. Even from this distance, the man's hardened atmosphere was enough to instill fear. "I'm sure he's as bad as the rumors say he is."

"He's not!" A new voice peeped up and Cobi twisted around in surprise. A girl with pigtails who couldn't be older than ten stood behind them. "He got in trouble because he was helping me, and this time I tried to help him." The girl's eyes filled with tears. "But I got kicked out and they stomped on my riceballs."

"What happened?" Luffus asked curiously. The girl turned her tearful gaze to the straw hat boy.

"Mommy's a maid at Sir Morgan's and I was helping her work but when I crossed the garden, the tiger Sir Morgan's son owns tried to hurt me but that nice knight saved me!" She wilted again at this point. "But Sir Morgan's son got angry because the knight killed the tiger and then when Lady Alvida came the knight called her an old hag-"

Luffus burst out laughing.

"And she got mad too and told him that she'd let him live if he swore fe-feel-ty to her. But he refused and she got madder and told him she would only let him live if he stayed like that for a month," The girl bit her lip. "But I heard Mommy saying that Lady Alvida doesn't plan on letting him live that and she's going to execute him today at noon."

The young noble, who had been grinning throughout the story, suddenly stiffened. "She's going to break her word?"

"Lady Albina thinks that killing him will bring her in the Prince's favor." The little girl sniffled. "Since he's a foreigner and the other knights don't like him much."

Luffus tilted his head and considered this. "So he's stuck there because he saved you from a tiger?"

"Uh-huh," The girl's head bobbed furiously. "He's _nice_."

o o o

"Scram kid," The notorious swordsman spoke when Luffus approached. "The knights will kill you if you stay here."

"No, I won't. I'm strong."

At the easy declaration, the stranger finally looked up and bared his teeth in an imitation of a grin. "That so? Well, if you have business with me, come a moon later. I'll be a free man then."

Luffus tilted his head. "Can you survive a whole month like this?"

The man replied "Yes." and the answer was simple and fierce and Luffus liked the conviction he found in the gaze.

"Okay," he decided and turned away.

o o o

Cobi sighed with relief when Luffus turned away without being harmed, only to tense in fear when the swordsman called Luffus back. Then Cobi watched in horror as Luffus glanced at the ground and picked up the remains of the ruined riceball as if to offer it. Fearing that the clueless noble was going to offend the wild foreigner, Cobi snapped up to shout a warning-but to his surprise, Roronoa Zoro ate the riceball, sand and all.

The swordsman muttered something to Luffus between coughs, and Cobi wondered what he said because the grin Luffus broke into was brilliant and fierce and Cobi thought it might light up the sky.

o o o

"I've decided that I'm going to save him and make him my subject."

"Lord-I mean Luffy, wait, are you serious? Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna find his swords! I'll get it back and make him join me."

"What-Luffy!"

o o o

Cobi watched Luffus go without looking back and wished he was stronger.

o o o

"What is it with today?" The swordsman muttered darkly and Cobi willed himself not to flinch. "Get the hell out of here kid, they'll kill you if they find you."

"I can't," Cobi didn't know what to call the pounding in his heart. It wasn't something as courageous as justice but Cobi hoped one day it could be.

Luffus had snuck into the House of Ironmaston; nothing Cobi warned about Lady Alvida or Sir Morgan could stop him. And watching Luffus slip by the guards and climb into the windows, instead of using his birthright as a Heir that granted immediate invitation and hospitality, Cobi realized he would never be able to stand himself if he only watched while his friend risked his life. Which was why he sneaked up to the empty field Roronoa Zoro was tied up in, and against the swordsman's warnings, began to untie him.

Cobi wanted to be a knight and so he knew: execution of a swordsman was by a single bullet and it was a cruel death to knights who valued honor and battle above everything else.

"They'll kill you," Coby argued helplessly. It wasn't fair for somebody who was just trying to help a little girl have to die.

"No, I'll be fine if I survive for a month," Roronoa Zoro replied with the exasperated air of a man who had to explain this many times. "They patrol every half hour, so run-"

"They're LYING!" Cobi shouted and he didn't dare look up when the swordsman stiffened. "The Lady plans to have you shot this afternoon and Luffy went to get your swords so you can leave, so we just have to get out of here fast enough-"

"Too late," Roronoa Zoro snarled and Cobi's blood froze cold at the familiar snide laughter.

If Alvida herself showed up, there was no doubt that Sir Morgan and his troop joined her to watch the execution. Cobi stilled in his tracks, refusing to run away but too afraid to continue and when at the Lady's command, the executioner raised his gun and aimed at 'the traitor boy,' Cobi screwed his eyes shut and prepared to die.

When the crack rang out but the bullet never came, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Luffy?" Cobi whispered because a slim back that had three wickedly long swords hanging filled his view. Because Cobi hadn't seen Luffy coming and hadn't thought Luffy possibly could. Because Cobi could see the crimson stain that spread to to stain the dusty ground.

"Stop," Luffus ordered calmly, as if he had not been just shot. He turned his gaze to Alvida, and the gaze was solemn and serious and Alvida realized she couldn't move. "You will release him; I'm the man who will be King and I've decided he's mine."

o o o

Despite Luffus having trespassed another's land, despite that the execution was well within the Lady's authority, and despite that Luffus had not given them his family name, not a single one of them dared to disagree.

o o o

"Don't worry Cobi, it's just a graze," Luffus shrugged off his friend's panicked fussing and slid the weapons off his back. "Are all three really yours? They look different from what Shanks uses."

"I come from a different land," Roronoa Zoro accepted his blades after rubbing his bruised wrists. He sank to the ground, leaning against the post that kept him prisoner for so long. "I came because I heard a man named Mihawk is the strongest in all Grand Line."

Luffus grinned; the House of Dracule was legendary for it's swordsmen. The current head, Lord Mihawk, Count of Dracule was considered to be the strongest yet. "You intend to find him?"

"I intend to fight him," The swordsman smirked. "And I intend to win."

Luffus grinned.

"I'm gonna find One Piece and become King," Luffus held out his hand. "Join me?"

Roronoa Zoro tilted his hand and considered the foolishness of the boy to trust a foreigner so easily, the recklessness of the boy who didn't flinch before a gun.

He took the hand and answered. "Gladly."


End file.
